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Next generation of laser technology
Polariton laser systems are garnering significant interest as the next generation of laser technology because they can operate at extremely low power, even though advances in laser modules are constrained by challenges in maintaining exciton thermal stability, especially in nanoscale devices. A team of researchers from Pennsylvania presented a polariton nanolaser system operating at room temperature. They confirm that this laser module can help in numerous related research areas, for example, the laser device can be applied in polariton physics at the nanoscale as well as in quantum information systems.
Principle of operation of polariton lasers
The principle of the laser module operation is based on the material excitation by producing Coulomb-bound states of electron-hole pairs (excitons) that strongly interact with photons. A macroscopic quantum state of exciton-polaritons is created and takes advantage of both the light and the matter, forming very energy-efficient coherent light sources.
Formation of exciton-polaritons
To address the existing issue, the researchers utilized a “quantum well,” a term that refers to a region where electrons can move freely. The quantum well was installed on the sidewall of the nanostructure semiconductor laser system. The team succeeded in supporting thermally stable excitons in the laser module even at room temperature; in the contrary cases, they are stable only at very low temperatures.
The quantum well structure used in the mentioned laser system offers new benefits, such as the formation of more efficient and stable exciton-polariton states than before, due to strengthening the exciton and light coupling inside the nanostructure semiconductor laser.
Efficiency and performance of the nano-laser
This development allows producing polariton nano-laser systems that demonstrate stable operation at room temperature; their power consumption (power density of 180 to 360 mW/cm2 for the acquisition time of 10 s) is considered to be only 1/10th of conventional nanostructure laser modules.
Potential applications and advantages
The research team also claims that the novel nanostructure semiconductor laser system enables increasing the exciton properties and consequently the exciton-polaritons. Finally, it is possible to design the polariton nano-laser system that is able to operate at room temperature conditions with the help of this laser technology. The developed nano-laser device is highly promising because it makes a contribution to the creation of a platform to study the physical phenomena related to the exciton-polaritons in room temperature environment.